- Date
- August 27, 1989, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sandy, OR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5916CBeech C35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890827031699A
- Case key
- 40933
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of engine power due to the separation of the bolt connecting the throttle rod to the carburetor throttle arm and an inadequate annual inspection performed 5 flight hours prior to the occurrence. Contributing factors were obstructions in and around the only open field available for the forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The engine lost power shortly after takeoff and a forced landing was made in an open field. The airplane collided with the terrain and cartwheeled. The bolt connecting the throttle arm to the throttle rod end was missing. A bolt identified as the proper type for this connection was found laying against the firewall. The bolt is supposde to be secured with a castellated nut and a cotter pin. Neither the nut nor the cotter pin was found. The bolt was not damaged. An annual inspection was performed 5 flight hours prior to the accident. The open field used for the forced landing is surrounded by 100 ft trees, with barbed wire fences 300 to 400 ft apart. Initial ground impact mark was located 64 inches from a fence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5916C
- Reported as
- Beech C35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-3276
- Airframe hours
- 3,725
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wesley, Greene S.
- Registered owner
- Helm, John C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 1989 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 03S · Sandy, OR
- Destination
- 7S3 · Hillsboro, OR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,894 total · 4,517 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PDX, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.